Bill Text: TX HR96 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commemorating the posthumous presentation of the Medal of Honor to U.S. Army Master Sergeant Mike C. Peña of Newgulf.
Sponsorship: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 5-2)
Status: (Passed) 2015-03-02 - Reported enrolled [HR96 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HR96-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 96 | ||
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| WHEREAS, U.S. Army Master Sergeant Mike C. Peña of Newgulf | ||
| gave his life to save his fellow soldiers during the Korean War, and | ||
| his heroism was posthumously recognized with the bestowal of a | ||
| Medal of Honor at a White House ceremony on March 18, 2014; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Born on November 6, 1924, Mike Peña was the son of | ||
| Mexican immigrants Miguel and Maria Peña; in 1940, two months shy of | ||
| his 16th birthday, he enlisted in the army in Houston after | ||
| misrepresenting his age to recruiters; he was assigned to the 5th | ||
| Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, and received training at | ||
| Fort Clark in Brackettville and Fort Bliss in El Paso; just a year | ||
| after his induction into the service, the Japanese surprise attack | ||
| on Pearl Harbor precipitated the United States' entry into World | ||
| War II; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Deployed to the Pacific theater in 1943, Sergeant | ||
| Peña fought to liberate the Philippines from Japanese forces and | ||
| later took part in the occupation of Japan with members of his | ||
| division; he received an honorable discharge on October 3, 1945, | ||
| and reenlisted the same day; a month earlier, on September 5, he had | ||
| married his sweetheart, the former Aurora Lola Urenda, and their | ||
| life together would be enriched by the birth of two sons, Michael | ||
| David and Frederick William; for a time, the family resided at Camp | ||
| McGill in occupied Japan before moving to Camp Carson in Colorado; | ||
| and | ||
| WHEREAS, In late June 1950, the U.S. military was again | ||
| called upon when soldiers from communist North Korea invaded South | ||
| Korea; Sergeant Peña volunteered to return to action, rejoining the | ||
| 5th Cavalry Regiment, and participated in an amphibious landing at | ||
| P'ohang-dong, Korea, in July 1950; the 1st Cavalry Division was | ||
| ordered to defend a 35-mile sector along the Nakdong River, which | ||
| became the scene of intense fighting as enemy combatants pushed | ||
| from the north; and | ||
| WHEREAS, On September 4, 1950, Sergeant Peña and | ||
| his platoon | ||
| were posted near Waegwan, when a North Korean Army battalion | ||
| emerged only yards away, having advanced under the shroud of | ||
| darkness and mist; the platoon opened fire but was caught off-guard | ||
| by the attack and was forced to withdraw; Sergeant Peña swiftly | ||
| rallied his troops and led them in a counterattack that succeeded in | ||
| regaining their lost ground; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Sergeant Peña and his men then established a | ||
| defensive perimeter and attempted to repel the North Koreans' | ||
| repeated assaults, but the enemy enjoyed an overwhelming numerical | ||
| advantage; when the platoon's ammunition supply began to dwindle, | ||
| Sergeant Peña commanded his men to fall back and seized a machine | ||
| gun to provide cover for the retreating troops; making a heroic | ||
| stand, he held back the enemy singlehandedly until the early | ||
| morning hours, when his position was overrun and he was fatally | ||
| wounded; he died at the age of 25, on the date of his fifth wedding | ||
| anniversary; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The outstanding service that Sergeant Peña rendered | ||
| over the course of his military career brought him numerous | ||
| decorations and awards, including the Distinguished Service Cross, | ||
| which was conferred posthumously, the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple | ||
| Heart with two oak leaf clusters, and the Army Good Conduct Medal | ||
| with bronze clasp and two loops; Sergeant Peña was buried with full | ||
| military honors at Cedarvale Cemetery in Bay City; and | ||
| WHEREAS, For his extraordinary gallantry and immeasurable | ||
| sacrifice, Americans owe Master Sergeant Mike C. Peña a debt that | ||
| the passage of time can never diminish; his actions represent the | ||
| proudest tradition of service to country, and he is indeed | ||
| deserving of our nation's supreme award for valor; now, therefore, | ||
| be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas | ||
| Legislature hereby commemorate the posthumous presentation of the | ||
| Medal of Honor to Master Sergeant Mike C. Peña; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
| prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of | ||
| Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Master | ||
| Sergeant Mike C. Peña. | ||
| Stephenson | ||
| Anderson of McLennan | ||
| Israel | ||
| Keough | ||
| King of Uvalde | ||
| Miller of Fort Bend | ||
| Spitzer | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 96 was adopted by the House on | ||
| February 19, 2015, by a non-record vote. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
